4chan creator joins Google to help build online communities

Google has hired the notorious Christopher Poole, the creator of the controversial Internet image board 4chan.

Better known as "moot", Poole announced the move on Tumblr:

"When meeting with current and former Googlers, I continually find myself drawn to their intelligence, passion, and enthusiasm - as well as a universal desire to share it with others. I'm also impressed by Google's commitment to enabling these same talented people to tackle some of the world's most interesting and important problems."

He added: "I can't wait to contribute my own experience from a dozen years of building online communities, and to begin the next chapter of my career at such an incredible company."

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Bradley Horowitz, Google's vice president of streams, photos and sharing confirmed the news on his Google+ page.

4chan, home to Anonymous and the Fappening, has been linked to spreading abuse, trolling and online harassments but it is widely credited as being the first place where leaked images of nude celebrities were posted, after the infamous security breach of Apple's iCloud service in 2014.

Poole left his administration role in January 2015, and later sold the sire to a Japanese entrepreneur, he will now concentrate on Google's social media platform.

Poole founded 4chan in 2003, and today site claims to attract 22m unique visitors per month.